Q&A with Anthony’s Pizza owner Anthony Milo

While opening what Anthony Milo envisioned as his dream business, he endured stretches of nightmare.

He signed a lease for the storefront location across the street from the Regional Justice Center nearly five years ago, only to find that the building owner was encountering financial problems. In the end, he had to act as his own contractor to finish the interior of Anthony’s New York Pizza & Deli, drained his savings, sold off three of his five prized Pontiac GTO classic muscle cars and saw his marriage end in divorce. Still, he managed to open.

However, added 48-year-old Milo, “My whole family was behind me, They said it was a great location and not to give up. My friends were behind me. If it wasn’t for them, I probably would have left.”

Milo, a Bronx, N.Y., native, got his start in the business at age 18, when he went to work at a friend’s place in Clearwater, Fla., where he moved at age 10. He came to Las Vegas two decades ago to open the Dal’Italia pizza restaurant at Boulder Highway and East Flamingo Road, catering for several years to the nearby Chaparral High School. He sold that store two years ago.

Now, when he pulls a pizza out of the oven, “It’s for all the people who said (Anthony’s) would never open,” he said.

How did you go from employee to owner two decades ago?

I was tired of making my bosses rich. I ran their stores for years and years. I was just driven to have my own place and did really good at it when I worked for them. So I decided to take a shot, came out to Vegas and went on my own. It was tough — I used to work 80 to 100 hours a week.

Some say Las Vegas pizza crust is not as good as New York’s because of the water. True?

Yes and no. New York has great water. But as far as somebody making pizza, it’s what you put into it, making it fresh every day. It’s the person making the pizza taking pride in it. That’s why I think I was able to do well for so many years at one location.

Why downtown?

It’s a great location. The people are great. It’s Monday through Friday. It’s an owner’s dream to have the weekends off, nights off. I watched this place for a month before I signed the lease. I just sat here about two, two-and-a-half hours every morning and watched the traffic. People are very, very nice over here. They are professional and easy to get along with.

Why a New York theme?

I love the Yankees. I used to plan my vacations around the Yankees they were. I’ve been to the World Series three times. The Yankees have been in my family forever. I love going to New York. I would live in New York if it wasn’t for the weather. I love the people there, the culture.